Endangered Malayan tapir baby born at Minnesota zoo
Jul25

Endangered Malayan tapir baby born at Minnesota zoo

Last Saturday, a female Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) was born at the Minnesota Zoo, the first baby tapir for the zoo in over 20 years. “Malayan Tapirs are an endangered species and every birth is important to the population,” said Tom Ness supervisor of the zoo’s Tropics Trail at the Minnesota Zoo, located in Apple Valley. The only tapir species found outside of Central and South America, Malayan tapirs are...

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Oh deer: world’s smallest deer born at Queen’s Zoo
Jul25

Oh deer: world’s smallest deer born at Queen’s Zoo

By Alexander Holmgren The first week of July marked one of the as the World’s cute as the worlds smallest deer was born in the Wildlife Conservation’s Society Queen’s Zoo. The doe, a member of the endangered Pudu species (Pudu puda) weighs approximately one pound at birth and will only grow up to be twenty pounds as an adult. The Pudu are one of nature’s most extraordinary creatures. The Pudu is the smallest deer species in existence...

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Rare ginger monkey born
Jul23

Rare ginger monkey born

By Lacey Avery The ZSL London Zoo is home to a newborn François langur (Trachypithecus francoisi), one of the world’s rarest monkeys. Baby Chúa, whose name means “princess” in Vietnamese, is bright orange and described as having a crown-like tuft sticking up on her head. While both parents are black in color, four-week old Chúa’s fiery tinted fur is characteristic of François langur babies and will transition to black in six months to...

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Deep inside Guyana: the beautiful and biodiverse Rupununi region
Jul22

Deep inside Guyana: the beautiful and biodiverse Rupununi region

By Benedicte de Waziers Deep inside Guyana’s territory hides an enigmatic ecosystem that few people have heard of. The Rupununi region–Raponani in Carib–is located in the Takutu basin in Southern Guyana. The Rupununi is home to many Amerindian tribes, including the Makushi. Despite its fast-growing population and urbanization, the Rupununi provides invaluable services for its inhabitants. The majority of the Makushi people settle...

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Penguins and people alike enjoy the sunset at Whipsnade Zoo
Jul17

Penguins and people alike enjoy the sunset at Whipsnade Zoo

By Brandon Allen The black-footed penguins at the Whipsnade Zoo have a truly enviable spot; perched at the top of the Chiltern Hills, they enjoy a mesmerizing sunset every evening.  This view is not unlike the stunning sunsets that black-footed penguins experience along the rocky shores of South Africa and Namibia, their natural habitat. Visitors were able to join the penguins in enjoying the sunset Saturday, June 29th at Whipsnade...

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Capturing Wildlife
Jul12

Capturing Wildlife

By Erika Skogg “You conserve what you know, you don’t conserve what you don’t know.” I thought of this biology quote as I photographed along side Fernando, one of the Humboldt Society’s Ornithologist, as he pulled a shimmering green hummingbird out of the mist net. Strung between skinny silver poles around eight feet tall, the black mesh nets hung through the forest trails. They stood parallel to the forest, winding 100 feet down the...

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Unique Nicaraguan volcanic lake under threat
Jul11

Unique Nicaraguan volcanic lake under threat

By Elizabeth Loudon Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake between two of Nicaragua’s most populated cities, is known as a tourist destination for locals and backpackers. This section of  tropical dry forest is part of a corridor that is vital for many long and short distance migrations. Unbeknownst to many visitors, this site is also rich in pre-Columbian history and biodiversity. Ancient Chorotega petroglyphs remain intact...

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Rare newts in Prospect Park Zoo may be extinct in the wild
Jul05

Rare newts in Prospect Park Zoo may be extinct in the wild

By Phyllis Sena The Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York City, is now home to five critically endangered Kaiser’s spotted newts (Neurergus kaiseri). These black, white, and orange amphibians are found only in a five-square-mile region in Iran. Severe habitat loss and the illegal trade of these rare amphibians has driven the species to possibly be extinct in the wild, and they are officially ranked as critically endangered by the...

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A Chimpanzee Birthday Bash
Jul02

A Chimpanzee Birthday Bash

By Brandon Allen Koko the chimp celebrated her 40th birthday this month at the Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, England.  The zookeepers set out piñatas and wrapped treats, like tomatoes and yogurt, for the beloved chimpanzee.  These presents not only help Koko celebrate her birthday but also “keep her stimulated and encourage her to be inquisitive” according to Keeper Kathy Doherty.  Koko, the oldest chimp and resident of Whipsnade,...

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Five elephants collared in Bornean wildlife sanctuary
Jul01

Five elephants collared in Bornean wildlife sanctuary

By Brandon Allen A small group of students and volunteers in Malaysia successfully collared five Bornean elephants earlier this month in the Lower Kinabatagngan Wildlife Sanctuary.  This collaring mission was an effort led by Cardiff University PhD student Nurzhafarina Othman who is seeking to obtain data on the elephants that will support her research on the social behaviors of female Bornean elephants.  This recent collaring is of...

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